By now, many viewers have probably binge-watched the latest season of “Nobody Wants This,” the hit Netflix series that follows the romantic relationship between Joanne, a non-Jewish podcaster played by Kristen Bell, and “hot rabbi” Noah Roklov, portrayed by Adam Brody. In season three, which was released last month, Joanne and Noah move in together, and spoiler alert, he proposes.
As Joanne and Noah navigate the highs and lows of this stage of their relationship, Joanne is on a journey of her own—a Jewish one. Yes, she’s finally converting to Judaism, and season three follows Joanne as she enrolls in an “Intro to Judaism” course at Noah’s synagogue.
Here is a list of what the show gets right and wrong about what happens during Jewish conversion. Note: This essay was inspired by my past year working at American Jewish University, which offers a pathway for non-Jews to convert to Judaism that includes AJU’s 18-week “Intro to Judaism” course.
1. Wrong: Joanne attends class on her own.
Usually, students are encouraged to take the “Intro to Judaism” class with their partner. But in the latest season, we see Joanne attending classes solo while her partner, Rabbi Noah, is busy doing other things, like trying to get his old job back.
AJU’s Miller Intro to Judaism course encourages couples to attend the class together. In fact, most couples report that attending class together sparked inspiring and important conversations and brought them closer together.
2. Half-Right: Joanne’s class is held in-person.
Increasingly, given the realities of how people live and work, “Intro” classes are often held on Zoom. This allows the class to reach as many students as possible.
But AJU offers both in-person and virtual classes of its Miller Intro to Judaism course, allowing those who enroll in-person to learn in a physical space, such as a synagogue, Hillel or JCC, while those who opt for the virtual option to study alongside a diverse online community.
3. Right: Joanne’s classmates come from a variety of backgrounds.
Although viewers don’t learn too much about the personal lives of Joanne’s classmates, we can infer that they all have unique stories. This is very much the case at AJU’s “Intro to Judaism” course, which draws a diverse mix of people who are there for different reasons, even Jews who simply want to reengage with rituals and traditions they’ve neglected or forgotten.
Ultimately, AJU’s “Intro to Judaism” course was designed to serve not just one type of Jew or Jew-by-Choice—which is why AJU offers “Intro to Judaism (Espanol),” a Spanish-language version of the course that has reached Spanish-speaking students in cities including Santiago, Mexico City and San Diego.
4. Wishful thinking: Joanne’s instructor is played by comedian Sarah Silverman.
Okay, Sarah Silverman isn’t teaching at AJU, but the university’s instructors bring their own personalities, perspectives and warmth to the classroom.
AJU “Intro to Judaism” instructors include Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, vice president of Jewish engagement and director of the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, as well as Rabbi John Carrier, a Jew by choice who was ordained at AJU’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.
5. Right: Joanne’s mikvah ceremony takes place in the ocean.
Erin Foster, the creator of the show, based Joanne’s Jewish journey, in part, on her own. After meeting a Jewish guy, Erin decided to convert to Judaism, and her own mikvah ceremony took place at AJU’s Community Mikvah, the region’s only pluralistic mikvah.
But Joanne, the protagonist of “Nobody Wants This,” opts for something different. In the season’s final episode, we see Joanne immersing herself in the Pacific Ocean, submerging herself in the water, then emerging and reciting the al hat’vilah blessing. She repeats this process, doing two more immersions before reciting the Sh’ma and the shehecheyanu.
Some people might wonder if it’s kosher – or halachically correct – for an ocean to be used as a mikvah. The answer is yes. All natural seas and oceans are considered valid sources of water for ritual immersion, though, according to an article in My Jewish Learning, immersion in the ocean, given that the ocean water isn’t always calm and privacy isn’t guaranteed, isn’t as romantic as it sounds.
But, as the latest season of “Nobody Wants This” has shown, it sure makes for good TV.
